The Way We Are
by KaiRow
Summary: Hermione has spent her entire life trying to keep everything in order. But when her half sister, abandoned in France for 13 years, joins her for their final year at Hogwarts, she upsets the balance by joining with one Draco Malfoy. Little do they know that Vianne's horrific past is coming back to haunt her, leading them to the decision of a lifetime. DM/OC, M for safety.R&R please!
1. September

**The Way We Are**

Open Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, arch enemies since the day they had met. Sorted into rival houses, the two had fought against each other for seven years. They had formed their separate groups, separate beliefs, separate lives, trying to avoid each other. Harry, brave and honorable, exemplified the characteristics of a true Gryffindor. Draco was born to privilege and cunning; a true Slytherin. After seven years battling against each other, the two were merely a year away from a lifetime part. But this story is not about Harry and Draco. It's not about Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, the other two thirds of the Golden Trio. It's not about Draco's Death Eater parents, or the relationships between any of them. This is the story about one girl who came to Hogwarts in that final year, and changed the very foundation of the school. This is a story about learning to accept the way we are.

* * *

><p>Year seven in his education, year seventeen in his life, day one in the last year of his schooling, and Draco Malfoy was sitting and watching the giant squid. And let me tell you up front that contrary to popular belief, giant squids are not, in fact, entertaining. Had he bothered to look up, he would have seen the dozen random girls staring at him from across the courtyard, but he didn't. He didn't care. He had been with enough of them to know that they were all the same. They all said the same things, had the same names. He was bored with them. He knew full well that he could have his pick of any one he wanted, and he had.<p>

"You gonna watch that thing all day, mate?" Blaise Zabini asked, annoyed with his friend's silence. Blaise was what any normal person would call Draco's best friend. They had known each other since childhood, and were now nearly inseparable. They were both Slytherin Prefects, spent their time away from school avoiding their parents by living with the other. Although they were hardly seen apart, the two couldn't look more different. While both were tall, Draco was smaller, with slightly pointed features and piercing blue, almost silver eyes. Blaise was threateningly big, his dark head shaved, though his brown-green eyes and the slight gap between his front teeth made him seem warm and welcoming. The two made a threatening and handsome team, and they knew it.

"If you can find me anything more interesting than this squid, you can have my attention." Draco scoffed. "But I've looked, and I guarantee you there is none."

Blaise looked around, smirking. "You sure about that, mate?"

Draco nodded, not looking up. "Positive."

"How much?"

"Five sickles."

"You'll be eating your words, mate."

Draco shrugged. He was used to Blaise trying to find him girls. It's what they did. They took pride in their ability to attract and seduce women, and often made bets on who could get to a certain girl first, or how entertaining one would be. But Draco had gone through all of the ones he wanted. Now he just wanted a challenge, and no girl at Hogwarts could give him that.

"See, my friend here and I had this bet going, and I was wondering if you could help clear something up for us." Blaise could be heard explaining.

"Sure, but be quick, I have to go meet my sister." Came the reply, slightly twinged with a french accent.

"Do you have any tattoos?" Blaise asked.

The girl laughed. "What kind of question is that? Is that how you always go after girls?"

"No, sometimes he asks about piercings." Draco responded, glancing down at her feet. Combat boots. Black, worn in, half unlaced. He was willing to bet that she did.

"Well?" Blaise pushed.

"I do," The girl grinned. "More than one, actually."

"I don't suppose you'd tell us where?"

"Not a chance." She laughed again.

"Where are you from, anyways? Not many girls about here have tattoos that they'd admit to." Draco asked, finally looking up.

"London, via France. I'm transferring from Beauxbatons."

"I didn't realize their students really liked tattoos."

"Why do you think I'm transferring?"

Draco smirked, and the girl held out her hand.

"I'm Vianne."

He took it. "Draco."

* * *

><p>"She should be here by now!" Hermione tried peering over Ron's head to no avail. He was simply too tall. "She should've been here over an hour ago!"<p>

"Maybe she got held up." Ron yawned.

Hermione glared at him.

"Held up? Held up, Ronald? She was supposed to get here almost two hours ago, and it doesn't take that long to walk up from Hogsmead. Ron, are you even listening to me?"

He, decidedly, was not. And neither was Harry, who had just joined them, his eyes fixed across the field. He, and every other testosterone filled being in the courtyard, had his eyes glued to the long, tan legs draped delicately over lap of Draco Malfoy.

Hermione followed his gaze, sweeping over the blonde and brown heads of the two Slytherins, finally landing on the legs of the girl in question. Clad in the uniform skirt and shirt, the girl was obviously pretty. She had very dark features, which complimented her smooth, tan skin. She was lithe and muscular, with long, dark curls, long lashed golden brown eyes, and was grinning, deep in conversation with the two boys. Hermione furrowed her brows in confusion, and began walking over towards her, ignoring the questioning words of Harry and Ron. The Slytherins looked up at her arrival; both would have began verbally insulting her had the girl not spoken first.

"Hermione!" She said, not getting up but leaning forward. "How are you? I haven't seen you in _ages_, and –"

"Why didn't you come find me?"

"I was on my way, but I got side tracked – "

"Oh, they're not _that_ interesting, trust me." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Excuse me," Draco interjected, obviously annoyed. "But how do you two know each other again?"

"Hermione's my sister. Well, half sister." Vianne explained.

"You're JOKING." Malfoy laughed, his jaw dropping.

"There's no way you two are related." Blaise got out. "For one thing, Vianne is attractive, and for another -"

"Oh, thank you, Zabini. Such quality insults. Come on, Vianne." Hermione pulled her away. Vianne smiled at the boys over her shoulder, her skirt swaying from her hips.

"Well this should be interesting." Malfoy grinned.

* * *

><p>"So this is my dorm, I have to share it with the Head Boy, though I'm not sure who that is yet, and the Gryffindor dormitory is down the hall. You can ask the pictures sometimes if you need help, but generally they're quite useless, so you'll simply need look for the portrait of the Fat Lady, and I'll always be down the hall if you need anything, and - "<p>

"Hermione, I'm sure I'll be fine." Vianne interrupted tiredly.

"Alright. Mum said to tell you to owl her once you're settled in, so you can use mine if you like, or use one of the school ones."

"I'll wait to owl Mum, she'll be fine." Vianne plopped down on one of the plush suede couches, kicking her boots to the floor. The Head dorm was lovely, and beautiful mix of old fashioned and modern furniture. The floors were all hard wood, the walls painted a light golden brown that glittered in the candle light. Brass and iron candelabras littered the room, candles melting onto the fireplace. There was a long couch, a loveseat, and another two armchairs, all in a dark neutral grey. The common room gave way to a kitchenette, with hard wood and stained glass cabinets, granite counter tops, and wooden looking appliances. One bathroom joined the two bedrooms, an white marble room with a large tub and shower. The two Head's rooms were completely white. At the beginning of each year, the Head Boy and Girl are given completely blank rooms, to do with whatever they want. Usually, the rooms are a reflection of their individual houses, but there were no restrictions.

Hermione was already set to work on hers, painting the walls a light yellow, with red and golden curtains and bedspread, dark wood furniture, and several bookcases. She was proud of being in Gryffindor, and wanted to be able to remember her friends and past.

Vianne was half asleep on the couch when the portrait door opened suddenly, and in stepped Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy, followed by Pansy Parkinson.

"My, my, look what the cat dragged in." Pansy said obnoxiously. Her voice was a slightly higher than the average squeak, the kind that implies empty headedness and a rich father.

"Bitch, you ruined my nap." Vianne rolled over, the back of her shirt riding up to reveal her lower back. Blaise took quick notice of the end of a scar that went up her back.

"Watch your language." Malfoy said. "I suppose Granger's Head Girl?" Vianne nodded against the back of the couch. "Ah well. Knew I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up."

"Vianne, do you know where I put my -" Hermione distractedly strode out of her room and down the stairs, stopping midway down. She stared at Malfoy, her jaw dropping. "No. There's no way."

"Of course there is, Granger, we've been the top two in our class for the past six years, did you expect any different?"

"Well, I had _hoped_ -"

"No, that would be too good to be true. Just stay out of my way, mudblood, I don't think I'll be able to stand seeing your bucktooth face that early in the morning... Might become ill..."

Pansy snorted.

"Fine, just put a silencing charm on your room at night, I don't want to hear her-" Hermione jerked her head towards Pansy, who blushed. " - Every night."

Hermione and Draco, followed closely by Pansy, walked to their respective rooms, shutting the doors behind them.

Blaise sat down on the couch next to Vianne.

"Are they always like this?" She asked, rolling to face him.

"Worse." He grimaced. "You get used to it; they've been going at it since the day they met. I'd say he means well, but..."

"Oh, then this'll be fun... remind me not to hang out here anymore."  
>"I don't know, maybe they'll learn to tolerate each other?"<p>

"I doubt it. You may not know this, but Hermione can and will hold a grudge."

"So can Malfoy."

She rolled over onto her stomach, stretching.

"What happened to your back?"

She froze, so suddenly that he almost didn't notice.

"What do you mean?"

"You have a scar on your back."

"Oh, I fell down the stairs in front of my once when I was a kid. Landed on a rock. Not a big deal."

Blaise opened his mouth to answer, only to be interrupted by Malfoy and Pansy coming back down the stairs, arguing over something.

"I think that's my cue to leave," Blaise said quietly. "Let me know if you need anything, I'm sure it's frustrating to be around Granger all the time."

"Thanks, I will." Vianne smiled. "You're more human than she said you were."

"Yeah, we tend to be."


	2. October

How do you like it so far? I have about 5 chapters typed so far, and I'm liking it. We'll see how it goes... Please, read and review! I'm always looking for criticism.

- K

* * *

><p><span>October<span>:

"Vianne, hurry up, we're going to be late!" Hermione yelled up the stairs. "I cannot _believe_ it takes you this long to get ready."

Vianne rolled her eyes, coming down the stairs. "Well obviously, considering the way you dress." She muttered under her breath.

It was about half way through the month of October, and Vianne was fed up with Hermione. As close as they once were, the two had grown up, and were not similar in the least. Despite their matching long, unruly curls, the two girls could not look more different, especially in the way they dressed: While Hermione wore her uniform pressed and ironed, buttoned to the top and with her skirt the proper length, Vianne wore hers unbuttoned, untucked, and too short – which happened to be the way that every one else in the school wore theirs. But it angered Hermione because it was Vianne, who was _her_ responsibility. Their mother had put her in charge of Vianne's wellbeing and safety, and Merlin help her, she would set Vianne straight, once and for all.

Hermione pushed open the dungeon door, rushing towards her seat next to Ron and Harry. Walking in after her, Vianne looked around for an empty seat. All of the seats next to Gryffindors were taken, leaving only a seat between Malfoy and Blaise unoccupied.

"Take a seat, Miss Granger, as I would like to begin class." Snape snarled. Vianne walked to the two Slytherins, sliding into the seat between them. They both smirked at her. Malfoy turned and grinned at Hermione from across the room. She scowled. Snape strode to the front of the room.

"Turn to page three hundred and ninety four."

* * *

><p>Hermione frowned over her oatmeal. Quarter grades had come in, along with the class ranking. Although she was first (as always), Vianne was not far behind her. It was her, Malfoy and Vianne, with another few people mixed in... Vianne was tenth in her class, Draco second. At the rate her sister was moving, she might have some competition for head of the class. That was simply unacceptable.<p>

Hermione, being head girl, lived in the small dormitory in between all of the house dorms, but since the Head Boy was Malfoy, she chose to spend a majority of her time in the Gryffindor common room with Harry and Ron. She was glad of this, because she was able to spend nights with Ginny when Malfoy brought his girlfriend(s) home. She also, obviously, spend a lot of time in the library, finding books she hadn't read and trying to figure out ways to improve Vianne. It wasn't surprising how quickly she had found friends in Hogwarts; she had always been the more sociable of the two, but it did trouble her that she had made friends with Slytherins, especially when the Slytherins in question were Malfoy and Zambini. She would be more worried if not for the fact that Vianne seemed to be straying away from them, and spent more time with Harry and Ron and Ginny and Neville. She was still young and impressionable, and as the elder sibling, it was Hermione's responsibility to steer her in the right direction, and that direction did not, under any circumstances, include the Slytherins. Vianne knew that her old ways were no good; she had been silly and young and had gotten hurt for it, and it was on their mother's orders that Hermione took the task of making over Vianne, and turning her into a better person, a good person, a person who didn't get into trouble or drink or smoke and knew when to say no. A model citizen. A perfect student. Just like Hermione.

* * *

><p><span>Hogsmeade<span>

"...So, basically, there's nothing to do here?" Vianne asked, her brows furrowed in frustration.

"There's loads to do here! There's Zonkos, and the owlry, and the Shrieking Shack, and - "

"So basically, there's nothing to do here."

"That's about right." Malfoy interrupted, striding over to their table in the Three Broomsticks, Blaise and Pansy trailing close behind. Crabbe and Goyle grumbled in the background.

"No one asked you, Malfoy." Ron snarled.

"No one asked you either, Weasley, so keep your mouth shut." He turned to Vianne, who sat quietly, stirring her Firewhiskey with a straw. "You'll find that once you're over the age of twelve, the candy shop doesn't really cut it any more. At least not for people like us."

"She's nothing like you, Malfoy." Hermione said angrily.

"Yeah, Malfoy, what makes you think I'm anything like you?" Vianne half smiled, her golden brown eyes connecting with Malfoy's silver ones.

"Just a hunch." He smirked again. "But maybe I've overestimated you..."

"Mate, we've got to go." Blaise tapped him on the arm.

Malfoy nodded. "If you're interested..." He turned to leave. "You know where to find me."

"He's a horrid person, Vi. Trust me." Hermione said urgently, seeing her eyes follow Malfoy's retreating figure.

"And how would you know? You've never even spoken to the man."

"I've known him long enough to know he's not good for you. He's not good for anyone. Especially given your past..."

"Oh, bugger off, 'Mione. I'm old enough to know what is and isn't good for me."

"Are you? Because I seem to recall - "

"So, I hear the Chudley Cannons are ahead two teams towards the next Quidditch World Cup." Harry said hurriedly.

* * *

><p>"She really does mean well, Vi." Harry sat across from her, dropping his bag on the library floor. The one thing about Grangers, it seemed, was that they were always in the library.<p>

"The thing is, Harry, she doesn't. She means well for herself. She doesn't care about me. She cares about how people see me as it relates to her."

"Oh, come on, that can't be true.."

"Harry."

"Fine. You know, if you just stay away from Malfoy, she'll get off your back..."

"I don't see why you all hate him so much. I mean, sure he's kind of an arse, but aren't we all?"

Harry laughed. "True. I tend to agree with her on this one though. He's not exactly a model citizen."

"So? Neither am I."

* * *

><p>Vianne walked through the portrait dropping her bag and robes on the floor, grabbed a pear from the kitchen, and flopped down on the couch with book in hand.<p>

"You know, you don't actually live here." Malfoy grumbled from across the room. He was sitting in the armchair by the fireplace reading a Potions book and looking annoyed.

She looked up, surprised. "I didn't feel like talking to people."

"You're talking to me."

"You don't count." She grinned, catching his glare. "It's quieter in here."

"Go to the library."

"Hermione's in the library."

He paused. "I see your problem. You'd rather deal with me than her?"

"Yes."

"You're supposed to hate me."

"I'm supposed to do a lot of things."

"You have juice on your chin."

Vianne blushed, quickly wiping it away. "Thanks."

"You're very odd, you know."

Vianne grinned. "How so?"

"...Honestly, I don't know. I think it's just because I'm so used to Granger, and you're nothing like her."

"Just because we're related doesn't mean we have to be the same."

"Right..." Draco put his book down, turning to face her. "How are you two related again?"

"We're half sisters. Same mum, different dads."

"But she's older...?"

"Only by about a year. Mum had her first, but had an affair with dad right after, which is why I'm here. But I lived with him 'til I was about thirteen."

"Why...?"

"Because Mum's a twat."

"Ah, I see." He grinned.

"She wanted me to finish my schooling in France, but Beauxbatons works differently, so I came here to finish out my year. I'd rather be here for an extra year than have to spend a year at home with her."

"Don't get along?"

She looked at him sideways. "Is there a reason you want to know everything about me? Can't I keep some things to myself?" She grinned.

"I'm interested."

"What, Parkinson isn't good enough for you?"

"I like to keep my options open."

"Oh, of course."

"Look;" He stood up, walking over to her chair. "There's a party on Saturday, in the Slytherin common room. We have them every now and then. Technically, only Slytherins are allowed, but... You're new here, I'll make an exception."

She examined her finger nails. "And what if I have a prior engagement?"

He smirked, leaning in towards her. "Break it." He started walking towards the door.

"And what if I don't have anything to wear?"

"I don't care what you wear, but by god, don't borrow anything from Hermione."


	3. November

November

Vianne ambled through the corridors, lost in her own thoughts. Her boots clicked softly against the floor, her robes flowing softly in the night air. One thing she hated about being a witch was how the robes made everything seem like a strip tease. It was so had to make anything casual seem the least bit appropriate. Under her robes, she wore her combat boots, worn in and only half laced over an old pair of fishnet tights, which had more holes than they were meant to. A pair of greyish jean shorts fell barely past her bum, and a cropped, flowy, off the shoulder top revealed the bottom of her stomach and back. Dark makeup made her eyes stand out golden instead of brown, her bronzed skin glowing slightly in the moonlight. Long, dark curls flowed down her back. She brushed a strand or two out of her eyes, dark red nails standing out in the darkened hall. It was hard to feel wholesome when her robes made her feel like a dancer in a club, especially when Hermione tried so hard to make her presentable...

Something she wasn't, never had been. Wholesome girls didn't have tattoos, or boyfriends, or sex, and didn't do drugs, or go to parties in the middle of the night with boys your sister hated...

Lost in her thoughts, Vianne collided with a wall and fell backwards onto the floor.

"Shit, sorry love, I didn't see you there."

Vianne rubbed her head. "It's alright." She mumbled, taking the outstretched hand. "Blaise! How are you?" She said cheerily.

"Eh, been better. Some third-year's throwing up in the girl's dormitory" He shrugged. "Coming late, I see? I thought you'd be with Malfoy already. You don't want to keep him waiting, he gets antsy."

"Oh does he? Maybe I'll just make him wait then" She laughed.

"Now that's just mean." He grinned. "Here, I'll walk you." He took her robe, opening the door behind him. "Malfoy always tries to keep me on door duty because I look threatening and we have the same taste in women." He explained.

"Doesn't it get annoying?"

"Not as much as you think. I don't like parties that much anyways." He placed her robe on a chair. "Wanna drink?"

Drinks were laid out on a buffet table, bottles of alcoholic ButterBeer and Firewhiskey, and stronger drinks they didn't serve at the Three Broomsticks. There were bottles of Absinthe and some blue drink that shook slightly in its container, as well as some typically muggle drinks like vodka and whiskey and rum. The room was almost entirely dark, with light coming from nowhere reflecting off of the silver surfaces. The common room was very unlike the Gryffindor one, with high, gothic style ceilings and black chandeliers. The floors were scattered with green and silver rugs, with black leather couches holding drunken couples littering the room. A select few people were sitting on a thick Minotour fur in front of the fire, transfixed with its green flames. An eight pronged silver hookah sat on a table in the middle, purple smoke hovering above its top. Loud, bass filled music reverberated off the walls.

"You want a drink?" Blaise yelled again.

"Sure!" She yelled back. "Whatever you've got."

He handed her a bottle of some red liquid, opening it with his wand, and a shot of firewhiskey. "It has a bit of a kick to it, so you'll want to - " He stopped mid sentence, watching her tilt her head back and do the shot, then take a swig of the red drink. "- go easy on it." Blaise grinned, his white teeth contrasting against his dark skin. "You sure you're in the right house?"

She laughed, patted his arm, and sauntered into the fray of the party.

* * *

><p>Malfoy pushed the drunken girl away, looking for another drink. With the party in full swing, half of the students were falling all over themselves, drunk, making messes on the rugs. Picking up a glass of firewhiskey, he sat down on the couch next to the group of Slytherins smoking hookah, staring into the fireplace. As much as he enjoyed parties, there was always a certain part when he got bored and wanted to simply find someone to go to bed with and leave. He was sobering up from an old high, his least favorite feeling, and three girls had already passed out on him. And she was no where to be found.<p>

Blaise took the seat next to him, blunt in hand. "Want some?" He offered. Draco shook his head. "Why is there never anyone worth while at these parties?" He asked, frustrated.

"There are, you've just done 'em all" He joked. "It's hard to have new blood when the school stays the same."

Draco frowned. "She didn't even show."

"Who didn't?

"Vianne. Figured she'd be here by now." He said, trying to sound nonchalant about his restlessness.

"What are you talking about, mate? She got here a few hours ago. Got her a drink and everything. That girl downs shots like it's her job, mate, she's hysterical."

"But she..." Malfoy looked around, confused. But right there, dancing in the middle of a group of people was Vianne, dark curls flying around her head, black tattoos glittering in the fire light. She was barely wearing anything, and yet managed to be wearing more than any other girl there. A black t-shirt hung off her shoulder over her grey shorts, which barely managed to cover her bum. A fifth year was busy running his hands up and down her fishnet covered legs, and she leaned into him slightly, smirking.

Malfoy smirked; the boy's intention was somewhat apparent and he knew as well as anyone else that Vianne was not going to give in to that. At least, not to him.

"I'll be back." He said, rising.

Blaise grinned. "I hope not."

* * *

><p>Vianne ran her fingers through her hair, separating her curls. She ground into the boy behind her, casually eying Draco from across the room. He had been sitting sulkily for a while, talking to Blaise. Running her arms around the boy's neck, her hips swaying to the music. He planted a shy kiss on her ear, and she could smell the Firewhiskey on his breath. He was getting cocky. That's what she hated. When boys thought just because she was being nice, that she wanted to sleep with them. He grabbed her hips, pulling her arse into his groin. "Wanna get out of here?" He breathed into her ear, kissing her again. She laughed, pushing his hands off. "Not a chance." She sauntered away without glancing back, and started dancing with a tall, slim someone else.<p>

Vianne smirked to herself, running her hands backwards around the man's neck. He grasped her hips softly but firmly, moving them against his in time with the music. He traced a hole in her tights with a finger, breathing softly on her ear. She spun around, wrapping her arms around his neck. She grinned. "I knew it was you." She yelled over the music. He smirked in response. "I didn't think you would come." Vianne frowned, motioning to her ears, and, grabbing his hand, pulled him out of the crowd and into a nearby dormitory.

"I didn't think you would come." Draco repeated.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. She smiled. "Hermione's spending the night in the Head's dorm, so I was free to sneak out."

"Well that's always good. Though I suspect you would've left anyways."

She laughed. She flopped onto one of the beds, her hair spreading over the side.

"Tired, love?" Draco asked, walking towards her.

"A bit. Still a bit drunk, I must admit." She yawned loudly.

"Good."

He leaned over her, hands covering her wrists, lips gently attacking her collar bone. He pushed her farther into the bed, curling his hand around her neck. He moved his mouth up to her lips, kissing her forcefully. He could feel her hands wrapping around his biceps when -

"What the fuck!" He jumped back, startled. He put a finger to his lip. "You... you bit me!" He reached for his wand, only to find it missing from its pocket. "You little bitch, what the fuck is wrong with you? Give me my wand!" He came towards her, hands ready to push her back onto the bed.

She had her wand at his throat in an instant. "You didn't really think that would work, did you?"

"Look, you seemed perfectly willing - "

"Drunk isn't the same as willing, and quite honestly, I'm not that drunk." She grinned. "I'm also not that easy"

"You can't go around fucking _biting_ people, and then stealing their wands. Do you have any idea who I am?." He grabbed her wrist, and, twisting it behind her, forced her onto the bed. He grabbed his wand from her back pocket. "I should have known never to trust a mudblood." He spat. He let go of her wrist and turned to go, and, with a swift kick to his leg, Draco was sprawled on the floor, with Vianne now straddling his legs. She placed her hands on either side of his head.

"I do know who you are, Draco. Oh please, stop trying, it won't work, I promise you that." She smirked, pinning his arms above his head. He scowled. She was stronger than she looked. "Listen to me, Draco. Quite honestly, I knew you would try something tonight, and I'm here to tell you I won't be won that easily. I'm not some whore, Draco, I'm not Pansy, I'm not Astoria. Oh, don't try to deny it, you know it's true." He closed his mouth and rolled his eyes. He had been fed those lines before - Oh, I'm not a whore, I'm not easy, I need to be won by a _real_ man - all utter bullshit.

"I'm serious, Malfoy."

"I'm sure you are, now, if you'll just let me up, I'll -"

"Not until you hear me out."

He sighed. "Fine."

"Now listen. I really like you - as a friend. She said, shushing him. "I'm new here, and I'm not looking for a relationship. I don't want a one night stand. I've had enough of those as it is. I don't need the complications of romance, because quite honestly, I'm terrible at it, and you'd hate it. What I would like, is a friend like you, and like Blaise. Someone to show me around the school without trying to get into my pants, and keeping me away from Hermione from time to time. Are you at all interested in that?"

Draco sighed. "Well, seems I don't really have a choice, do I?"

* * *

><p>Draco trudged into the Head's dormitory the next day, running his fingers through his hair.<p>

"What are you doing here?" He addressed Blaise, who was lounging in an armchair by the fire, Daily Prophet in hand.

"First years decided to set off stink bombs in the dungeons, I can't stand the fucking smell."

"And to think, that used to be our favorite past time." Draco dropped onto the chair across from him, his head dropping into his hands.

"Long night?" Blaise looked up from his paper.

"You have no idea."

"I take it went well with Vianne, then?"

Draco sighed heavily. "I wish. I kissed her, and she bit me."

"Kinky."

"Not helpful."

Blaise laughed. "Well, what happened?"

"She bit me, threw me on the ground, and then told me she wasn't interested. Said she wanted to stay friends, couldn't risk it with Granger, has relationship issues, is new here, etc. What a waste of a night."

Blaise snorted. "Sounds like it, mate. So what are you going to do? Be friends with her?"  
>"Do I have another choice? I mean, I could still have a chance, it'd just require so much... effort." He sighed.<p>

"If it were me, I'd keep her close. Piss off the Golden Trio, gain a new fuck buddy, and she's more interesting than Pansy."

"I told you, she wasn't interested."

"Doesn't mean she won't be later. And if she isn't, I might have a go - Hey!" Blaise ducked as Malfoy threw a pillow at him. "Don't even, mate. Have you seen those legs? That arse? Any man would be lucky to shag that. Can't blame me for having eyes."

* * *

><p>"So, where were you last night?" Hermione asked nonchalantly, spreading jam on a piece of toast. Ginny said you didn't get in til late."<p>

Vianne glared across the table at the youngest Weasley, who became suddenly interested in her eggs. "I was out."

"Out where?"

"That's not really any of your business, is it? I was out."

"Mother left me in charge of you, and I'm older, which makes it my business."

"_You_ are not my mother, nor are you in charge of me, so fuck off."

"You know, ever since he left you've had such issues with authority. I'm just trying to help -"

"It has nothing to do with him! And I do not have issues with authority, I have issues with you!" Vianne slammed her knife down on the table, rattling her goblet.

"Vianne, she was just trying to - " Harry tried, but she quickly cut him off.

"Don't bother, Harry, she's obviously right. It's all me and my authority issues, it's got nothing to do with her being an overbearing little twat!" Vianne slammed her knife into the table, got up, and stormed out of the Great Hall.

"...What was that all about?" Ron asked cautiously.

"She's still adjusting to the new school. Doesn't like people looking out for her. Mum's only trying to help."

"But you're not her - " Ron started, only to be interrupted by a sharp jab in the ribs from Ginny's elbow.

Vianne sat on a bench in the courtyard, November wind chilling through her robe and mussing her hair. She scratched absentmindedly at her wrists, face forced into a frown. She hated her. Hated her with a burning passion. Just because she could make her hate herself with two words, with one look. Half of it wasn't even her fault, and she worked so, so hard to put it behind her, to forget everything that had happened in the past few years. Would she never forgive her?

"You alright?" A slightly strained voice asked from above. She looked up. Malfoy stood, hands in pockets, head bowed against the wind, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"What do you want?" She asked quietly, moving her attention back to her wrists. New cuts and scratches were appearing where old ones had faded.

"Honestly?" He sat down beside her. "Blaise suggested I check on you."

"I'm fine."

"You're a terrible liar."

"That's none of your business."

"I thought you wanted to be mates. Look, I saw you arguing with Granger in there, and -"

Vianne stood up, furious. "It's none of your goddamn business, Malfoy! You don't know me, you have no right to - "

"But I'd like to." He stood, taking her wrists in his hands.

She sighed. "No, you don't."

"Yes, I do." He ran his fingers through his hair. "You wanted to be friends, and even if it's not what I want, it still requires knowing you. And helping you. Because that's what friends do."

Viane furrowed her brow, puzzled. "Why are you doing this?"

"When I figure it out, I'll let you know."

* * *

><p>Tadah!<p>

Sorry that I'm so bad at updating, I'm doing my best with finals and everything. The next few chapters should come pretty consistently, but who knows?

Let me know what you think, please do read and review, constructive criticism is always welcome.

Until next time,

K


	4. December

**And here we are! Sorry for the wait, but the next chapter should be up relatively soon, then there should be a few weeks before the next set. This is Christmas in July, I guess, and we finally meet Vianne's family, and figure out that dynamic. I hope you enjoy, and please review!**

* * *

><p>December:<p>

Vianne wandered into the Head Boy and Girl's dormitory, dropped her bag on the floor, and collapsed onto the couch in front of a burning fire. It was a few days before Christmas Eve, and she was finally settled to being back in England. Hermione still followed her around like a mother hen, but they were on good terms and would both be returning home for the holiday. Vianne, Harry, and the Weasleys were on good terms too, and had invited her to stay with them for part of the break. She could never really consider them friends, at least not the way Hermione did. They were her friends, not Vianne's, and they were nice people, but they were not close to her like they were to her sister.

Instead, Vianne had succeeded in doing exactly what bothered Hermione the most: Befriending Slytherins. She, Blaise, and Malfoy were nearly inseparable, at least, as inseparable as two Slytherins and a Gryffindor could be without attracting too much attention. She often spent her nights wandering the castle with them after their hall duty. They were both (unsurprisingly) well versed in the hidden passageways of the castle, and had her navigating her way on her own in only a few days. Draco, despite his claims of caring about her, had gone back to his usual self, the arrogant asshole that everybody knew and loved. Blaise was kinder to her, his charm balancing out Malfoy's wit. But they were closeted with each other, didn't tell each other secrets or really anything for that matter, though Vianne knew that Malfoy shared that kind of friendship with Blaise. Even with her there, the two were thick as thieves. She didn't mind. Draco was incredibly interesting, and they often spent their time alone in the library, as it was Blaise's least favorite place and they could do schoolwork and talk.

"Don't you have anywhere else to be?" A voice asked from the doorway. Draco ambled in, dropping his bag beside hers.

"Not particularly." She moved to allow him space on the couch. "Are you going home for Christmas?"

"Sadly." He sat down beside her. "Mother likes to throw parties. Blaise'll be there. He usually spends most of his time at the manor anyways; he hates his parents." Draco sighed. "You?"

"Home with Hermione and her parents for a few days, then off to the Weasley's with everybody. Apparently, half of Gryffindor house just _lives_ there..."

"Sounds exciting."

"Oh, it will be." She sighed, dropping her head onto his shoulder. She smelled of spice and vanilla and he inhaled deeply.

"Oh, good, Vianne, you're here, we have to pack, we're leaving in the morning." Hermione walked in the door, her hair mussed and several books falling out of her arms. She stopped. "What're you doing here? What's going on?"

Vianne picked her head up, raising her arms to stretch. "We're having wild sex. What does it look like we're doing? We were just chatting."

"And I do live here, Granger, in case you didn't know." Malfoy drawled.

"Well, you need to pack."

"It'll take me five minutes."

"Good, you can start now."

"Good god, Granger, calm down." Draco stood. "She's a big girl, she can pack without you yelling at her."

"No one asked you, Malfoy, so leave."

"It's my common room too, I don't have to do anything."

"Vianne, pack. Malfoy, leave."

Vianne sighed, and, casting a final and frustrated look in Malfoy's direction, strode out the door.

"You know, you don't have to treat her like a baby, she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself." He started, leaning back on the couch.

"You know nothing about her, Malfoy. She's my sister, and she's been through a lot. She's my responsibility."

"Yeah, but she can take care of herself. You treat her like she's completely incompetent, ordering her around like that."

"You have no business telling me how to discipline my sister."

"She's my friend, and you don't have to discipline her, Granger, she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself!"

"And that's another thing, Malfoy." Hermione marched over, waving a finger in his face. "I don't know what you're up to, but I know it can't be anything good, so leave her alone. She has friends, and she's been in enough trouble as it is, she doesn't need you and Zabini."

"It's up to her to decide who she wants to be friends with, and if she wants me, then fine. You can't control her, Granger. Maybe you can control Pothead and Weasel, but Vianne is smarter than them, and she can take care of herself. Leave her alone."

* * *

><p>"Mum! Dad!" Hermione dropped her bags at the front door and ran in to meet her parents.<p>

"Hermione, dear! How was school? You know your father and I missed you so much! Now tell me all about it, how are your classes, and Harry and Ron - "

Vianne rolled her eyes and walked quietly over the threshold of the house. She could feel her mother's eyes surveying her over Hermione's shoulder, and knew that she would be criticized later for her appearance. Her mother had been expecting a newly reformed daughter – a Hermione look-alike, complete with frizzy-curly hair and properly pressed school skirt. That had been Hermione's mission. And she had failed.

"Vianne." Hermione's father – Her step father – walked over to her, extending his hand. She took it, nodding in return. "Stephen." She replied. "How was school? Hermione's been telling us you've made Gryffindor house and have a bunch of new friends, which is fantastic!" He grinned, trying so hard to break her stoic look. His wife rushed over to fix her hair. "Just make sure you don't fall into the wrong crowd again, yes, dear?" Her mother coaxed, straightening her shirt. "We don't want another episode, now do we, darling?" Vianne nodded stiffly. "Hello, Mother." She turned, picking up Hermione's coat.

"You two must be exhausted! Why don't you run upstairs and unpack, and dinner will be in half an hour."

The girls wandered up the stairs to their room, trunks trailing behind. Vianne glanced at the walls. Family pictures, floor to ceiling, covered them – black and white, all smiling and laughing, the perfect family. Hermione, though the ages, with her parents, dressed in pristine white outfits. A few of the more recent ones had Vianne in the background, out of place despite the matching sweater vests.

Vianne entered her room hesitantly, and immediately remembered why she hated it. She and Hermione had shared a room, in an attempt by their mother to get them to know each other better, to ease the awkward 'new sister' moments. By the time Vianne had moved in, Hermione had already painted the room, and characteristically refused to change it. It was lavender, with white furniture and green accents – perfectly organized and pristine, like the rest of the house. Apparently, being a dentist meant being obsessive-compulsive about organization. Pictures of cousins and grandparents hung neatly on the walls, pictures of Hermione as a child, moving pictures of Harry and Ron, the Weasleys, Hogwarts, vacations in France - It was Hermione's room. Vianne was just visiting.

She laid her trunk down on her twin bed, complete with identical white duvets and lace pillows. Hermione was already magiking her perfectly folded clothing into drawers and onto hangers. Vianne sighed, looking at her own pile of half folded clothes, and turned to leave.

* * *

><p>Christmas dinner consisted of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, yams, pudding, anything you could think of, and all of it made Vianne sick. Just looking at her perfect family holding hands and saying grace, watching Hermione and their mother and Stephen talk about their perfect lives, perfectly cutting their food; it made her skin crawl. As hard as she tried, she could never do it.<p>

"So, dear;" Her mother asked, daintily cutting into a piece of turkey. "Hermione tells us you're close behind her in class rank. That's wonderful, dear, considering you've only just transferred."

Vianne nodded, chewing slowly as to avoid answering.

"All of your credits from your old school have transferred then? Didn't have to make up any work?"

"Vianne was put ahead in some of her courses, which is why she can graduate this year with me instead of next." Hermione put in.

"That's wonderful! And I hear you've made lots of friends as well."

Vianne nodded. "I suppose, yeah."

"With some of those Slytherins your Hermione dislikes, yes?" She said absently, taking a bite of pudding.

Vianne glared at her sister.

"I have."

"Well, you shouldn't be fraternizing with them. From what I've heard from Hermione, they're very bad and very dangerous, irresponsible people who come from criminal families. You shouldn't socialize with them."

"They don't bother me."

"Vianne, what your mother is trying to say is to just be careful. We don't want another, erm..._incident _like the last one." Stephen said calmly.

"That had absolutely nothing to do with them. They're perfectly good people, just because they have bad families doesn't mean -"

"They're Death Eaters, Vianne! They ARE bad people! They're rapists and murderers and -" Hermione said earnestly.

"They are not. They come from bad families, that doesn't make them bad people. Neither of them are Death Eaters."

"So, Hermione, how are Harry and Ron doing? You mentioned they're both Prefects this year, that's wonderful." Her mother said rapidly, changing the subject.

"Oh, they're great, they've hardly gotten into any trouble this year at all! They're doing quite well, actually following orders and everything."

"That's always nice. And how is it in the new dormitory, do you have the place to yourself?"

"No, I share a common room with the Head Boy."

"Oh, and who is that?"

"Draco Malfoy, Hermione's favorite rapist murderer Death Eater friend." Vianne snarled from across the table.

"Vianne!" Their mother reprimanded.

"It's really not that bad, Mother, as long as he doesn't have friends over." Hermione tried.

"Then you _do _see him regularly, dear?" Their mother asked harshly from across the table.

"Yes. I do." Vianne said, stabbing a piece of candied yam with her fork.

"If he's that much trouble to your sister, maybe you shouldn't, he doesn't seem to be such a good influence on you." Stephen put in.

"Oh, shut it."

"You will watch your language when addressing your father, young lady." Her mother was fuming now.

She went back to stabbing food, mumbling under her breath.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"No, dear, tell us. We will share at the dinner table. What did you say?"

"Nothing!"

"Tell me, Vianne!"

"I said, he's not my father!"

"He's as good a one as you've got!" Hermione yelled, holding her father's hand.

"Thank you, dear, but she's quite right." Stephen patten Hermione's shoulder, turning to his other daughter. "I do try to make the best effort. Vianne, I know you were quite close to your father, and I -."

"I don't need your best effort, Stephen. My father was -"

"YOUR FATHER'S DEAD!"

The room went silent. All that could be heard with their mother's shallow breathing, her fingernails gripping at the table cloth. "Your father. Is. Dead. As well he should be, he was a horrid man and apparently, an even worse influence on you. I should have never let you live with him."

Vianne breathed deeply, setting her knife down on the table.

"I know he's fucking dead."

"You will watch your language young lady!" Her mother shrilled.

"I know he's _fucking_ dead." Vianne repeated. "But he was dead to you years ago, since you left your child with him. You didn't need it anyways. You didn't need me. You had your _perfect_ little daughter, and your _perfect_ little husband, why would you ruin that with some kid you didn't even want, when you had a husband that would welcome you back into his arms whether or not you ran off and fucked someone behind his back. My _father_ didn't dump me out on the street, he was the one who took care of me when you didn't want me! He raised me!"

"Fat lot of good it did, look at how you've turned out." She snarled.

"Well, at least I didn't turn out like you, _mother._" Vianne sneered across the table. "At least my father died fighting for something. At least he died defending me, defending the wizarding world!"

"Your father was a freak, and a failure! He was nothing but a homeless bum, and a freak of nature. He defended _nothing_."

"What, just like me? Just like Hermione? Oh, wait, I forgot, Hermione's the golden child. I'm the fucking failure. I'm the freak because I'm not bloody happy and cheerful all the time, because I don't fit in to your perfect family. You want to blame my father, fine, but it's not his fault you left me there, a new born child, left me there to die!"

"I came back!"

She laughed harshly. "Oh, that's rich. _You came back_. You came back, not to find and love and care for your other child, but to take her from her father and ship her off to some boarding school! I was fine where I was!"

"You were not! He was not a suitable parent, and that was not a good school for you!"

"And you were? You left me in France with him, someone you just said was an unsuitable parent, for fourteen years. Fourteen _years_, mother. And then you come in and still can't stand me, so you ship me off to school with Hermione!"

"You needed to be with your family!"

"I'm not with my family! I had family and friends in France. You only want me here so that Hermione can keep an eye on me! This is not my family. HE is not my father, SHE is not my sister, and YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER!"

They were standing now, screaming across the table at each other. Vianne gripped the tablecloth, breathing heavily. She straightened. "I'm leaving."

Her mother laughed coldly. "You have no where to go."

"I don't care. I would rather freeze to death than stay here another minute."

She opened the front door, refusing to shiver at the winter breeze that greeted her. No one tried to stop her.

"Happy fucking Christmas."

* * *

><p>"Mate, I have to be getting back. It's Christmas. My parents...Okay, well, Anabelle's waiting for me. I haven't given her her present yet, and I promised to read to her before she went to sleep." Blaise stood, pulling on his robe.<p>

"Isn't she a little old to be waiting up for you?"

"She's seven and a half, she's my sister. I have to get back."

"Alright, mate. Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas." Blaise walked to the door before apparating out of the parlour.

Draco sighed, pulling at his tie. His mother's party had been long and tiresome, and he was looking forward to going to bed. Blaise and Pansy were the only ones he even wanted to talk to, since Crabbe and Goyle were visiting their fathers in Askaban, and Vianne was in London with her parents. He had a sudden vision of her in some blue dress, hair flowing down her back, chatting in the ballroom with his mother. He smirked. Pansy had left early (thankfully) with her parents, and Blaise had stayed long after his parents had left, grudgingly carrying their sleeping daughter home. His mother had resigned to her own wing of the house, leaving Draco alone in the parlour on Christmas. He reached for a present under the tree that his mother insisted was set up every year, despite the fact that there were no children left in the house, it was just the two of them as his father was rarely home. It was some school book he didn't really need, and he tossed it onto the couch beside him. He stood, removing the cuff links from his shirt and pulling off his tie. He was half way up the staircase when he heard a soft knock on the door.

He froze, unsure if he had actually heard it, but there it was again. He walked back down the stairs and opened the door to find her cold, wet, and shivering, with tears slightly frozen onto her rosy cheeks and curls ruined by the rain and snow.

She smiled slightly, clutching at the light shirt that did nothing to guard her from the elements.

"Hi, Draco."

* * *

><p>"...And so I just stood up and left."<p>

She said, pulling the blanket closer around her. No matter what spells he used to dry her off, she was still shivering. He was beginning to think the cold didn't even matter to her.

"And how did you get here?"

"I read something that had a picture of your house, and I just... Apparated here. Wards were down, I landed right next to the door and hoped it was the right house."

"Yeah, mother threw a party. Are you sure you don't want anything to eat, or...?"

"No, I'm fine." She sniffled, running her fingers through her hair again.

"Vianne..." He started hesitantly. "What exactly... happened... with you and your father?"

She sighed heavily. "Mother and Stephen had been together for a while, and she was on a business trip in France, and had an affair. It was right after Hermione was born. He was just some black Frenchman, but he got her pregnant, and she returned nine months later with a baby girl. She just handed me over, and I lived with him until I was fourteen. He taught me all sorts of magic. I was enrolled at Beauxbatons, but I was home all through holidays, and I spent a lot of time on the streets. We moved around a lot." She glanced sideways at Draco, rubbing her wrists nervously. "I told you Beauxbatons works differently than Hogwarts. I finished school last year, but I've been living with her since I was fifteen. About a year ago, I was visiting my dad in Toulouse, and there was this huge fight, and there were Death Eaters involved, and they used me as bait for him. He was an influential figure in the rebellion there against You-Know-Who, and he was killed. I was shipped back to London, and she couldn't handle being with me all the time, so she sent me to school with Hermione for the extra year."

He broke his blank stare, unsure of what to say, and turned to her. "So, are you staying here then?"

She looked up, startled. "What?"

"Are you staying here?"

"I...You don't have to...I can find somewhere to stay, it's not a big deal, I just..."

"No, you'll stay."

"No, really Malfoy, I can -"

"You can what, Granger? It's not like you have anywhere else to go, and it's only a week or so. You're staying."

The guest room (one of many) was large, with ivory walls, hardwood furniture and floors, and a large poster bed with the Malfoy crest engraved on the foot board and embroidered on the duvet cover. Vianne took off her shoes upon entering, she doubted that the Lady Malfoy would be very happy with her tracking dirt into her pristine room. She stripped her still damp jeans off of her body, followed by her socks. She sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, and went to work undoing the buttons on her white school shirt.

"Sorry, I didn't..."

Vianne looked up at Malfoy, who was standing in the doorway, a pile of clothes in hand.

"I...just brought you some clothes. Figured something warm might..." He cleared his throat. His eyes had wandered over her wet shirt, her goose pimple covered legs. "I can get those clean for you. Sorry, we don't really have any women's clothes, besides my mother's, and hers aren't exactly comfortable." He offered her the pile of clothes.

"It's fine. Thank you." She nodded, standing to accept the T-shirt and sweatpants.

"My room's two doors down if you need anything." He nodded in return, leaving the room. "Good night, Vi."

"Sweet dreams, Draco."

* * *

><p>Morning came a little too soon for Vianne, who was still frazzled and exhausted from the night before. Upon waking, she found the sun shining brightly, and a fresh layer of icy slush covering the world outside her windows. Climbing out of bed, Vianne set to exploring. The room was much larger than she had thought, bed taking up only a quarter of the room. One corner of the room held a large wardrobe and dresser, with a few standard black robes. Another corner held a large armchair and loveseat, with a small table between them, and a floor to ceiling bookcase. Vianne wandered over, pulling books from the shelves. The books were relatively common: A few old Hogwarts texts, some books on Astronomy and Potions, classic novels, etc. The other wall of the room held a large window, with a seat underneath it the size of a small bed. Noticing another door in the room, Vianne opened it, leading her into a pearly white bathroom with marble floors, in which she showered and found clothes cleaned and dried on a rack. Pulling on jeans and a white button-down, she exited the bathroom, buttoning it as she left.<p>

"Good morning." Draco smirked from across the room. He and Vianne, apparently, shared a bathroom, and she had exited through the wrong door.

She gasped. "Oh, god, I'm sorry, I didn't -"

"Is that my shirt?"

She glanced down. "I guess so." She moved to unbutton it.

"It's fine. Looks better on you anyways." He rubbed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair, mussing his platinum blonde bed head. "What time is it?"

"Around ten, I think."

"I'll shower, then, and we can eat and owl Blaise and we can go back to your mum's and get you some of your own clothes."

She stared at her feet. "I'd really rather not, I mean, I'm fine with what I came in, it's not a problem -"

"Vi, as much as I love you in my clothes," He smirked. "you need to go get your things. Blaise and I will go with you, it'll take five minutes. In fact...Why don't you go downstairs, he'll probably be over soon. He tries to not spend excessive amounts of time in his own home."

Once she found the kitchen (it was hidden away behind the dining room, she just had trouble figuring out which dining room), she started making herself tea and porridge, and was just pouring her breakfast when Mrs. Malfoy entered the room. She paused a moment, then promptly sat down with a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, ma'am." Vianne tried, politely. She earned no response. She tried introducing herself. "It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Malfoy, my name is Vianne, I'm -"

"Excuse me, but I don't think I addressed you. I'm sure you are a very nice girl, but I will never see you again, so I feel no obligation to getting to know you. I'm sure you understand."

"I...Of course, Mrs. Malfoy. I just thought..."

"You thought that you would, in fact, be in my house again, and that we should be on friendly terms? Or that you and my son would be spending a lot of time together? You see, I have met every other girl like you, and I never meet them more than once, and I'm sure I haven't even met half of them. I don't care for you, or any of them, and therefore, I don't need, or want, to know your name."

"Oh, Mother, I see you've met Vianne." said Draco, entering the kitchen.

"Oh, it that her name? I must have missed it." She said dismissively, sipping her coffee.

"She's a very good friend of mine."

"I'm sure. Now, when can you find one and keep them? I'm tired of meeting these girls once or twice and never seeing them again, and you're almost out of school, you're already of age -"

"Mother." Draco said shortly. "We are not romantically involved, and I have plenty of time before I need to choose a wife."

"Of course." She said tightly.

"We're going out. Won't be back for a while."

Narcissa sighed. "Of course, dear. Say hello to Blaise for me."

* * *

><p><strong>POP! <strong>Vianne, followed by Draco and Blaise, materialized outside Vianne's London home. Draco put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll just get your clothes and leave." She nodded, and Blaise rang the bell.

Vianne's mother opened the door. She started slightly, then glared at the two boys standing at her doorstep. "May I help you?" She asked stiffly.

"Hello, Mrs. Granger. My name is Blaise Zabini, and this is Draco Malfoy. We're friends of Vianne's. We're just here for her things, then we'll be out of your way." Blaise said politely.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I am not going to allow you into my house."

"I'm very sorry ma'am, but that's not really an option." Blaise took a step forward, startling Mrs. Granger back into the foyer of her home. Draco and Blaise stood patiently watching Mr. and Mrs. Granger, while Vianne ran upstairs, avoiding eye contact with her mother. A few minutes later, a loud thud and a crash came from the floor above. All eyes went towards the stairs. Draco cleared his throat. "I'll go check..."

Upstairs, Hermione and Vianne were standing across the room from one another, wands raised, Hermione levitating a bookend in the air, Vianne a picture frame. Broken wood and glass scattered the floor, and a large framed photograph of Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been smashed.

"You're not going with them!" Hermione shrieked. "I can't believe you even let them into our house!"

"_Your_ house, and they're _your_ enemies! I can do whatever the hell I want!" The picture frame fell to the ground with a smash as Vianne went for her trunk. Hermione threw herself on top of it, sobbing. "You can't live with him! You don't know him, he's just like the others, Vi, he's a Death Eater!"

"GET OUT!" Vianne screamed, pushing Hermione off of the trunk and out the door, into a slightly frazzled Draco. He closed the door behind him.

"Nice room." He smirked, glancing at the broken picture frames and torn photographs.

"It was Hermione's before I got here." She snarled from the floor. He looked around. Purple walls and an embroidered white bedspread caught his eye. Another bed had been hastily fit in, and was, in true Granger fashion, surrounded by books. The walls were covered in Gryffindor emblems and photographs of Hermione and her friends, though one or two featured the sisters.

He turned his attention back to Vianne, who was still sitting on the floor. Her suitcase was open, but she was not packing it. A battered photograph lay in her hands, a young girl with big golden brown eyes waved at the camera in the arms of an middle-aged man, who kept making her laugh.

"He was all I had..." She said softly. "We didn't have much, but he always tried to make the best of it. He was the only family I've ever known, and she... She hates me for being his daughter."

"You still have Hermione... your mother, step-father..."

She smiled sadly. "I wish. The only reason I'm not out on the street is because we look too similar, people can see we're related. She hates me. Hermione was her perfect child, not me." She slipped the picture into her pocket, and stood up. Draco turned, and with a wave of his wand, cleaned the floor, and began packing her trunk. Another wave shrunk all of her books. He closed the trunk and turned to face her.

"Are you ready to go?"

She looked around, her eyes finally landing on his. She was so vivacious, so hard, and yet so tiny and fragile. All she had wanted was a family to love her, and she had landed in this mess. "I think so." She said, rising.

"Alright." He opened the door for her, magicking her trunk down the stairs. The three Grangers stood in the foyer, accompanied by Blaise, whose dark and hulking was making them very uncomfortable. Malfoy had his hand on her back, Hermione noticed. He nodded to Blaise, who gave a soft smile to Vianne, and exited. Vianne left, refusing to make eye contact with her family, followed by Draco, who quietly shut the door behind them. There was something different about him, Hermione thought. Something in the way he treated Vianne that made him almost... Human.


	5. January

January

Draco knocked softly on the door. She had been in her room all day, and, as much as he hated to admit it, he was worried about her. He was always worried about her. She was quiet now, and didn't come down from her room except for meals, where she would push food around on her plate silently. Her eyes were perpetually red from crying and a lack of sleep, her hair slightly more unkempt than usual. They had left the Grangers' only a few days ago, and Vianne had ceased communication.

No answer came to his knock. Draco quietly opened the door. The room lay a mess, obviously the house elves had been told not to clean it. A few articles of clothing lay on the floor, but most remained unpacked in her trunk. Her books lay in piles across the room, dogeared and half opened. The bed, however, was made, though she was not in it. Vianne lay asleep on the window seat, half dressed in an old shirt and shorts, blanket lying in a pile on the floor. She was always so peaceful when she slept, all the anger gone from her face, her hair pulled down from its bun.

Draco placed the tray of food down on the floor, and quietly made his way over to her. He picked the blanket up from the floor, draped it over her goose-pimpled body, and knelt down next to her. A photograph had fallen to the ground beside her, the one of the small girl and her father, of Vianne and her father. She looked exactly the same. Her face was slightly rounder, her hair shorter, but the same gorgeous, vivacious girl stared out at him from her father's arms. She was a perfect mix of her mother and father, Vianne had her mother's large, child-like eyes and strong nose, and her father's high cheekbones and dark skin. She looked so happy, smiling her big grin at the camera, still missing teeth. He looked at the sleeping woman next to him. She was so sad, so hurt.

"Enjoying yourself? Vianne's eyes fluttered open, she tried to stretch herself out without falling off the window seat.

"I was bringing you dinner." He offered.

"And watching me sleep?

"I couldn't help it." He moved a strand of hair out of her face.

"I'm sure." She replied, standing up.

He followed suit. "I wanted to make sure you were alright. Ever since you saw Granger, you've been locked up here, not talking to anyone." She nodded, avoiding his gaze. "I'm fine. I just need some time to myself."

"You're drowning in here, love. You haven't eaten, I know you don't sleep, you don't talk to anyone. You just sit here with your books and your photograph. It can't just be Granger, please, tell me what's wrong.

"Nothing's wrong, I just need some time to myself. I told you, I'm fine." She walked away towards the door, anywhere away from those silver eyes.

"You're not fine, goddamn it Vianne!" He grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him. He saw a flicker of fear pass through her eyes. "Why are you so scared?" He cupped her face in his hands. "I'm not going to hurt you, I'd never hurt you, I just - "

"I'm not good at letting people into my life, and I've already let you in farther than I intended." Vianne turned back away, wandering around the room. "And I said I just want to be friends."

"You're lying. Maybe that's what you wanted when we met, but it's not now, and you know it. I can see it, whenever we're together, you -"

"What do you know about me? How do you know what I want; _I_ don't even know what I want. I told you, I don't want anything... complicated."

"THIS is complicated," he said, motioning to the two of them. "These emotions, not knowing whether you're happy or trying to kill yourself, not knowing whether you want to be with me or throw a book at my head, this is complicated. Just tell me what you want." begged.

"I don't want these emotions. I can't take them, I've had enough of them." Vianne sighed. "I don't know what I want. I don't even know who I am." She slumped down to the floor, running fingers through her knotted hair.

"Then let me help." Draco sat down next to her. "I've had my fair share of sadness too, hell, it's been my day to day life for years. Let me help." He brushed a strand of hair from in front of her eyes.

Vianne sighed. "She'd kill me, Draco. You know how much she hates Slytherins, especially you. And Ron and Harry would never forgive me. She thinks it already, and she doesn't want me getting hurt. She was yelling at me the other day because apparently, she knows we're fucking, since you could never be just friends with a girl like me."

"A girl like who? A beautiful, intelligent, gorgeous, angry, sarcastic, vibrant...complicated girl like you? Any man would be lucky to have you by his side - in any respect." He placed his hand over hers. "We can take it slow, love. We don't have to tell her. We don't have to tell anybody. No one will hurt you, I can promise you that. I won't let them."

She smiled softly. "Do you seduce all of your women like this?

"Only the ones that are worth it." He cupped her chin in his hand. "So what do you say?

She nodded. "We can't tell her - not anyone.

"Of course.

Draco smiled and brought her face close to his, keeping his silver eyes locked with her golden ones, his other hand tangled in her hair, and, closing his eyes, he kissed her. Softly, sweetly, gently, to banish off all of her scared thoughts, to comfort her, to caress her and tell her that he wanted her despite all the scars, all the memories, everything that made her hate herself, he wanted her, and only her. She melted into his arms softly, all golden brown honey and spice and warmth, and together softened each other's cold, hardened hearts so they could be together in their sadness and disappointment.

* * *

><p>Hogwarts<p>

Hermione was an angry wreck. Her stay at the Weasley's over Christmas break had been irritable, because as much as they cared about her and shared her hatred of Malfoy, neither Harry nor Ron really could really help her, so they stayed away and let her fume about it in private. Her parents had been even less helpful, they both completely ignored their runaway daughter, her mother even went so far as to move Vianne's bed out of their room and into the guest room. The tension that hung over the house was too great, so Hermione had gone to the Weasley's, where at least Molly could offer some motherly affection. But now that she was back at Hogwarts, all she needed was the quiet welcome of the library to calm her nerves.

She truly didn't understand it. Her mother only wanted the best for Vianne, and Malfoy...Malfoy was evil! She had been saying it for years, and she knew that he didn't truly care for her, why should he? She was just another girl in his game, she meant nothing to him, none of them ever did. He would only pay attention to a girl if he thought he could get something out of it, mainly, sex. As misguided as Vianne was, she was smart, couldn't she see through his antics? She was a Granger for Godric's sake! Their mother had put Hermione in charge of keeping Vianne safe and out of trouble, and she had failed. She never failed. She would not, could not fail.

* * *

><p>Vianne wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his, completely interrupting his train of thought. Draco returned the kiss, pulling her close by the bottom of her shirt. She pulled away suddenly, fixing her hair. "We should probably leave soon..." She said tiredly, laying her head head on his shoulder. He nodded in agreement. "Lunch is... what? Halfway through?"<p>

"I don't feel like eating, I feel like sleeping" She yawned. "Why can't I just stay here with you again?"

He eased her off of him, standing up. "Because Granger will be back soon enough, and she'll notice if we're both not there. Besides, you should eat." She pouted, standing up and stretching her back. "I'll see you in Potions then." Vianne gave him a quick peck on the cheek and left the common room, bag slung over her shoulder. Malfoy gathered his things for his next few classes, waited a few minutes, and followed suit. It was a bother, this secret relationship thing, because he couldn't go anywhere with her. They would meet before lunch in the Head's common room because Hermione was never there, and then, with a few minutes between them so that no one would suspect, they would go to lunch. No one, of course, noticed because nobody thought there was anything TO notice. No one would put two and two together, no one cared that much. It was too easy. And yet so hard. He couldn't see her in public, or in private because there was no private. Sometimes she would sneak past Hermione into his dormitory, but it would only be so long before she caught on. They would meet for moments in abandoned corridors and classrooms, but it was much different than dating Astoria or Pansy, or even Daphne, who wouldn't let him touch her in public. At least he could be seen with them. At least if he kissed one of them in the corridor, it would not start an uproar and revolt against him.

Draco entered the Great Hall and headed straight for the Slytherin table, where his usual seat between Blaise and Crabbe was empty. Vianne sat chatting with Harry and Luna at the Gryffindor table, her hair wound up in a bun on top of her head, held into place by her wand. He smirked, watching Ron steal glances at her from across from Hermione, who was lost in some book and purposefully not paying any attention to Vianne.

Draco took his seat next to Blaise, who nodded a hello over his Charms book. "Flitwick has given us the worst work this year..." He sighed. Draco nodded in agreement, turning his attention to the rest of the Great Hall. It was astounding how nothing had changed over his seven years at Hogwarts. The people who were friends as first years were still friends, people sat with the same people, looked that same, nothing, absolutely nothing had changed, and it was boring. It was as if everyone was perpetually stuck in their first year. His eyes drifted over to the Gryffindor table. _Especially the Golden Trio_, he thought. Three people stuck in their ways, despite additions to their group, namely Looney Lovegood, Longbottom, and the youngest Weasley girl, whose name continued to escape him.

"Vianne and Potter seem cozy."

Draco started. Over at the Gryffindor table, Vianne was leaning her head on Potter's shoulder, still chatting with him and Lovegood. He gripped his fork involuntarily, glancing at Blaise, who was watching him carefully.

"You alright, mate?" Blaise asked, smirking slightly.

"Yeah." He dropped his fork. "Stomach ache."

"Mhm...Listen, mate -"

"I have to go. Potions work..."

Draco rose and left, his food half untouched, and started down towards the dungeons. Half way down, he stopped, sitting on a step. He hated the dungeons. Most of the Slytherins loved them, how cool it was, the stories of daemons and breeze that seemed to drift through even though there were no windows. The portraits were nasty, like the students, and it was Filch's favorite place to be. But it reminded Draco too much of home. Underneath the marble floors and expansive gardens lay his father's own playpen, a leftover from his great grandfather. More than one prisoner had been kept there during Draco's lifetime, and occasionally the screams would echo off the stone walls and enter into the actual house, where the household would collectively pause, for a moment, and then return to whatever they were doing. More than one person Draco had known or had heard of had been kept there.

"Are you alright? You left early enough." Vianne sat down next to him, her bag thudding to the floor.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired is all."

"Liar."

The classes began to end and empty, parting around the two of them as they sat in silence. They'd have to get up soon, as their classmates came down to the dungeon, but neither of them felt like moving. Vianne stared out into space, her hands clasped neatly in her lap. Draco stared at her, trying to decipher what wasn't being said, what was never being said. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Vianne picking up her bag and standing.

"We should go in, 'Mione will be down soon."

He nodded, rising from the step. They entered the classroom together and separated to their seats on opposite sides of the room, suddenly unaware of the others' existence. Harry came in and took his seat next to Vianne, Hermione and Ron behind them, and Blaise next to Draco. Any friendship that any of them had disappeared in the classroom. The only hint of recognition between them was Draco's relatively subtle glances at Vianne across the room, something only Blaise noticed. They completed their Potions work in silence, Hermione finishing first, to the annoyance of Snape, who simply lingered around the Gryffindor side of the room, keeping tabs and trying to spoil any potions, with careful attention to Neville.

"Woah, watch it!" Blaise nearly shouted, pushing Draco's hand away from the boiling cauldron. He had been seconds away from dropping twice as much dragon's blood as was necessary into their potion, something that would have resulted in a Longbottom worthy explosion.

"Sorry, mate...Distracted." Draco answered, remeasuring the dragon's blood.

"I can see that..."

Draco's vision still rested on Vianne, as she folded her long legs around the bottom of her stool, back curved slightly in as she leaned over her work. Blaise eyed him carefully. He knew Draco wanted her, who wouldn't? But he was unsure just how far in he was, and whether he'd come out of this alive.

* * *

><p>Thanks to xXMizz Alec VolturiXx for the heads up about editing - I just uploaded it and forgot about the funky formatting. So here's the edited version, you like (and an read) it!<p> 


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